The BJP in Assam seems to have swung into poll mode. After announcing ‘Mission 84’ to win 84 seats out of the total 126 seats in the Assembly in the forthcoming State elections in 2016, the saffron party now plans to enrol a whopping 25 lakh members in Assam by March next year.
The party has 3.6 lakh members in Assam at present.
It may be mentioned here that the BJP has already deputed Mahendra Singh, one of the members of party president Amit Shah’s core team, as in-charge of Assam and asked him to recharge the saffron party in Assam ahead of the 2016 Assembly polls.
The party is also likely to cash in on the growing differences between the Tarun Gogoi-led Assam Government and the Central Government, a party leader said while adding that the party had already started the membership drive.
“The BJP has started an SMS campaign to boost its membership drive. The party has been sending SMSes to people and asking them to give a missed call to a particular number if they want to join the BJP,” said a party leader.
People from different walks of life, including artistes and Assamese film stars have started joining the party. “Famous actors of Assam like Jatin Bora and popular music icons Pabitra Margherita and Krishnamoni Chutia have already joined our party. This is surely going to boost our party’s chances in the elections,” said party president Siddhartha Bhattacharya.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi and Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Skill Development, Entrepreneurship, Youth Affairs and Sports Sarbananda Sonowal are once again on a collision course after Gogoi distanced himself from the National Youth Festival slated to be held in the world’s largest river island, Majuli and upper Assam city of Jorhat.
While Sonowal is keen to organise the four-day event from January 8 to 12 here, the State Government has shot down the idea saying that the river island does not have the required infrastructure to organise such an event.
“However, Gogoi wants the same to be held in Guwahati. The Chief Minister has cited lack of adequate infrastructure there in Majuli,” Sonowal added.
On his part, Gogoi accused Sonowal of telling lies. “Whenever he comes he just tells lies and nothing else.”